Editing Interstate 990

{{short description|Highway in New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| state = NY
| type = I
| route = 990
| alternate_name = Staff Sergeant William R. Wilson III Memorial Highway<br />Lockport Expressway
| map = {{maplink-road}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = I-990 highlighted in red
| length_mi = 6.35
| length_ref = <ref>{{cite web |last=Starks |first=Edward |date=January 27, 2022 |title=Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table02.cfm |access-date=December 8, 2022 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]}}</ref>
| established = January 1979<ref name="approval" />
| history = First section opened in 1980s<ref name="1981map" /><ref name="1985map" />
| spur_type = I
| spur_of = 90
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=NY|I|290}} in [[Amherst, New York|Amherst]]
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = {{jct|state=NY|NY|263}} in Amherst
| counties = [[Erie County, New York|Erie]]
| previous_type = NY
| previous_route = 962J
| next_type = NY
| next_route = 990L
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;990''' ('''I-990''') is an [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] located entirely within the town of [[Amherst, New York|Amherst]] in [[Erie County, New York]], in the United States. It runs in a roughly north–south direction for {{convert|6.35|mi|km}} through the southwestern and central parts of Amherst from an interchange with [[Interstate 290 (New York)|I-290]] north of [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] to an intersection with [[New York State Route&nbsp;263|New York Route 263]] (NY&nbsp;263, named Millersport Highway) south of [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport]]. The highway serves as a connection between Buffalo, the [[University at Buffalo]], and Lockport (via NY&nbsp;263 and NY&nbsp;78). Like [[Interstate 590|I-590]] in nearby [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]], I-990 does not physically meet [[Interstate 90 in New York|I-90]], its parent [[Interstate Highway]]; instead, the highway makes the connection by way of a "sibling" highway (I-290). I-990 is the highest numbered Interstate Highway in the US. 

Plans for an expressway between Buffalo and Lockport were proposed as early as the late 1960s. As originally laid out, the highway would run for {{convert|12|mi|km}} and end in Lockport's eastern suburbs. By the time the road was added to the Interstate Highway System and designated I-990 in 1979, the proposal had been scaled back to a {{convert|4|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}} freeway linking I-290 to North French Road. The route was constructed and opened to traffic in two stages during the 1980s. An extension to NY&nbsp;263 was finished in 1990 and officially added to I-990 three years later.

==Description==
[[File:I-990 north in Amherst.jpg|left|thumb|I-990 northbound from the Amherst pedestrian bridge]]
I-990 begins at a [[semi-directional T interchange]] (exit&nbsp;4) with [[Interstate 290 (New York)|I-290]] (Youngmann Expressway) in the [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] suburb of [[Amherst, New York|Amherst]]. After leaving the interchange, I-990, known as the Lockport Expressway, proceeds northward along the western edge of the [[University at Buffalo]]'s Amherst Campus as a four-lane divided expressway. It generally parallels Sweet Home Road (unsigned [[New York State Route 952T|NY&nbsp;952T]]) to exit&nbsp;1, a northbound-only interchange providing access to Audubon Parkway by way of a two-lane connector to the campus. From here, I-990 gradually bends northeastward, leaving the vicinity of the campus and entering a [[partial cloverleaf interchange]] (exit&nbsp;2) connecting to Sweet Home Road.<ref name="bing">{{bing maps |url=http://binged.it/Pn16OP |title=overview map of I-990 |access-date=September 13, 2012}}</ref>

The Interstate Highway continues to turn to the northeast as it heads away from exit&nbsp;2, crossing over [[Ellicott Creek]] and Dodge Road ([[County Route 45 (Erie County, New York)|County Route&nbsp;45]]). I-990 expands to six lanes just as it enters the nearby exit&nbsp;3, which connects to Dodge Road and the northern end of the Audubon Parkway. The freeway briefly runs eastward from the junction, paralleling Dodge Road into the [[Hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] of [[Getzville, New York|Getzville]], where the expressway passes over [[New York State Route 270|NY&nbsp;270]] (Campbell Boulevard). Just after the NY&nbsp;270 crossing, I-990 bends northward once again and enters exit&nbsp;4, a [[diamond interchange]] with North French Road ([[County Route 299 (Erie County, New York)|CR&nbsp;299]]).<ref name="bing" /> 

Past North French Road, I-990 bends back to the northeast, crossing Hopkins Road ([[County Route 87 (Erie County, New York)|CR&nbsp;87]]) as it approaches an at-grade intersection with [[New York State Route 263|NY&nbsp;263]] (Millersport Highway). The junction serves as I-990's exit&nbsp;5 and its northern terminus. Traffic approaching the junction on northbound I-990 is diverted onto what was intended to be a single-lane exit ramp leading to NY&nbsp;263. A small stub of highway exists east of the exit [[gore (road)|gore]].<ref name="bing" />

==History==
[[File:I-990 stub in Amherst.jpg|right|thumb|I-990's northern terminus, featuring the incomplete stub at NY&nbsp;263, seen from the Hopkins Road overpass]]
On October&nbsp;30, 1968, the [[New York State Department of Transportation]] (NYSDOT) nominated 20&nbsp;proposed highways to be added to the [[Interstate Highway System]] as part of a {{convert|1500|mi|km|adj=on}} nationwide system expansion authorized by the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968]]. One of the submitted roads was the Lockport Expressway, a {{convert|12|mi|km|adj=on}}, $22-million [[limited-access highway]] extending in a northeast–southwest direction between I-290 north of [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and a proposed [[Niagara Falls, New York|Niagara Falls]]–[[Rochester, New York|Rochester]] freeway near [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport]].<ref>{{cite news |title=State highway program ... the status and the outlook |newspaper=The Geneva Times |date=November 1, 1968 |page=8}}</ref> When the city of Niagara Falls released its Regional Highway Plan for the Buffalo–Niagara Falls area in 1971, the Niagara Falls–Rochester highway was scrapped; as a result, the north end of the Lockport Expressway was moved to a point on [[New York State Route 31|NY&nbsp;31]] east of Lockport. In between I-290 and NY&nbsp;31, the highway would intersect the proposed [[Belt Expressway]] and [[New York State Route 78|NY&nbsp;78]] (Transit Road).<ref>{{cite map |title=Regional Highway Plan for Buffalo and Niagara Falls |year=1971 |publisher=City of Niagara Falls |url=http://www.gribblenation.net/nypics/planned/buffalo/buffalo.jpg |access-date=June 3, 2009}}</ref>

While the outer belt proposal was mostly dropped, the plans to build the Lockport Expressway gained traction in January 1979 when the {{convert|4.2|mi|km|adj=on}} portion between I-290 and North French Road was added to the Interstate Highway System and designated as I-990.<ref name="approval">{{cite news |title=2 highways get approval |newspaper=[[Tonawanda News]] |location=North Tonawanda, NY |date=January 10, 1979 |agency=[[United Press International]] |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New highway hearing set |newspaper=Tonawanda News |date=January 4, 1977 |agency=United Press International |location=North Tonawanda, NY |page=6}}</ref> The remainder of the original {{convert|12|mi|km|adj=on}} route was excluded due to a lack of funding.<ref name="outline">{{cite news |last=Salamone |first=Chris |title=Plans for new Amherst road outlined |newspaper=Tonawanda News |date=January 11, 1980 |location=North Tonawanda, NY |page=4}}</ref> Construction began in 1980 on the part south of Sweet Home Road,<ref name="1981map">{{cite map |title=[[I Love New York]] Tourism Map |publisher=[[State of New York]] |cartography=[[Rand McNally and Company]] |year=1981}}</ref><ref name="outline" /> and the highway was opened to traffic by 1985. The section leading northeast to North French Road was built during the mid-1980s<ref name="1981map"/><ref name="1985map">{{cite map |publisher=Rand McNally and Company |title=New York |year=1985 |isbn=0-528-91040-X}}</ref> and completed by 1990.<ref>{{cite map |publisher=[[DeLorme Mapping]] |title=Upstate New York City Street Maps |edition=1st |year=1990 |cartography=DeLorme Mapping |scale=1" = 1/2 mile |page=2 |section=D1 |isbn=0-89933-300-1}}</ref> In 1986, NYSDOT began to evaluate ways to improve the highways surrounding the northern terminus of I-990. One of the potential options was an extension of the freeway to [[New York State Route 263|NY&nbsp;263]] (Millersport Highway) southwest of Lockport.<ref>{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Ed |title=Impact statement slated on Lockport Expressway |newspaper=Tonawanda News |date=April 10, 1986 |location=North Tonawanda, NY |page=3}}</ref> This option was ultimately selected, and the new section of the freeway was opened to traffic on December&nbsp;21, 1990.<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert J. |last=McCarthy |title=New Link In Lockport Route To Open 4-Lane Highway To Buffalo Only 2 Miles Shy Of Goal |newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]] |date=December 20, 1990}}</ref> It was officially added to I-990 on October&nbsp;22, 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/1993-USRN_Cmte.PDF |title=Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways |date=October 23, 1993 |publisher=[[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] |page=7 |access-date=July 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014070631/http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/1993-USRN_Cmte.PDF |archive-date=October 14, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In June 2013, I-990 was renamed from the Lockport Expressway to the Staff Sergeant William R. Wilson III Memorial Highway. This is in honor of his contributions to the US military, which included training Afghan soldiers and police to take over the country's security. Staff Sergeant Wilson also served two combat deployments to Iraq as part of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. As a result, he was posthumously awarded the [[Bronze Star Medal]] and [[Purple Heart]]. He also received the [[National Defense Service Medal]], [[Iraq Campaign Medal]], and the [[Afghanistan Campaign Medal]], as well as the [[Army Service Ribbon]] and [[Overseas Service Ribbon]]. The bill to rename I-990 was sponsored by State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Raymond Walter. Signage is now displayed at each terminus showing the new name.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sisti|first=Maria|title=I-990 Renamed for Getzville Soldier Killed in Afghanistan|url=http://amherst.wgrz.com/news/news/97881-i-990-renamed-getzville-soldier-killed-afghanistan|access-date=October 13, 2013|newspaper=[[WGRZ-TV]]|date=June 22, 2013|archive-date=October 12, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131012203112/http://amherst.wgrz.com/news/news/97881-i-990-renamed-getzville-soldier-killed-afghanistan|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Exit list==
{{NYinttop|exit|length_ref=<ref name="2008tvr">{{cite web|url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Volume%20Report%202008.pdf |title=2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State |date=June 16, 2009 |format=PDF |page=291 |publisher=[[New York State Department of Transportation]] |access-date=February 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927024222/https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Volume%20Report%202008.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2012 }}</ref>|county=Erie|location=Amherst}}
{{NYint|exit
|mile=0.00
|exit=–
|road={{jct|state=NY|I|290|city1=Buffalo}}
|notes=Southern terminus; exit 4 on I-290
}}
{{NYint|exit
|mile=1.34
|exit=1
|type=incomplete
|road=Audubon Parkway – [[University at Buffalo, The State University of New York|University at Buffalo]] North Campus
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{NYint|exit
|mile=2.02
|exit=2
|road=Sweet Home Road ([[New York State Route 952T|NY 952T]])
|notes=Signed as exits 2A (south) and 2B (north) southbound
}}
{{NYint|exit
|mile=3.07
|exit=3
|road=Audubon Parkway – [[University at Buffalo, The State University of New York|University at Buffalo]] North Campus
}}
{{NYint|exit
|mile=4.62
|exit=4
|road=North French Road ([[County Route 299 (Erie County, New York)|CR 299]])
}}
{{NYint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=6.43
|exit=5
|road={{jct|state=NY|NY|263|name1=Millersport Highway}}
|notes=Northern terminus; [[at-grade intersection]]; northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. roads}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Interstate 990}}
{{Attached KML}}
{{NYSR external links|type=I|nyroutes=yes|route=990|alps=yes|unyrds=yes}}
*[http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-990_ny.html Interstate-Guide: I-990]

{{3di|90}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 90-9}}
[[Category:Transportation in Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Transportation in Erie County, New York]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in New York (state)|90-9]]
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|90-9]]
[[Category:Interstate 90|9]]